Read Time: 24mins
Author: Patricia Polacco
Genre: Historical
Synopsis: The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco is a poignant children’s historical fiction book about Monique, a young French girl during WWII whose mother hides a Jewish family, including a girl named Sevrine, in their cellar. Based on a true story, it explores friendship, courage, and the French Resistance, ending with a tense escape to freedom.
Points of Interest: History, nature, courage, based on a real story
Who may like this book: Children who are interested in historical fiction, offering a gentle yet serious introduction to Nazi occupation through a child’s perspective.
Dialogic Reading Prompts
- What would you do if a strange girl showed up in your room?
- Why were the men in boots so scary? What were they doing to the people like the candy salesmen?
- Why would they not like those people? Is it reasonable to not like someone based off of that?
- Would you like to keep a family safe, if your friend and their family was in danger?
- How scared do you think Monique was? Would you be scared? Why is it important that despite being scared, she did what she could?
- What do you think the butterfly represents? Did Sevrine send those butterflies?
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